"HA HA! Paydirt!" Skip laughs shakily after being unnerved by the rats. "HEY! I found some jugs boys!" He spouts, with elation filling his voice. Skip then takes what he can carry (one jug while holding the lighter) and tries to slowly climb back up to where the others watch anxiously.
You carefully carry the three jugs up into the warehouse. Each jug seems to have liquid in it and is fairly full.
"Looks like a toast is in order!, to our new venture!"
Skip lovingly uncorks one of the jugs and pulling it up to his nose takes a whiff.
*snn-sniffffff*
"Whiskey?"
Ingo crosses his arms in front of him, and raises his eyebrows. He seems to disapprove of the prospect of drinking from the jugs.
"Gentlemen. I know that this is an occasion for celebration. We can surely get some alcohol, if that is what you desire. We can get some Canadian brandy, or some Irish whiskey. I am sure you would prefer quality in your vices. As a doctor, I strongly caution you not to ingest alcohol of uncertain provenance. Ethanol and Methanol are bad enough, but the additives in most rotgut are extremely toxic. Why not just have some of my cocaine instead? Cocaine is the lord of all intoxicants. It strengthens heart and mind. Alcohol is merely a key to the cell of the id, and a dreadful nuisance to boot"
He produces a small bottle of cocaine from his breast pocket, and takes out a small leather pouch with mirror, razor and silver straw. The pouch is monogrammed I vL II
"Nah. You can have all the cocaine."
Two of the jugs have what smells like bad moonshine whiskey. The third jug is not alcohol. Ingo recognizes the smell as formaldehyde.
"WHHHHEW!" Says Skip as he gets a heavy snort of chemical, with the next couple yielding equally unpleasant results. "No wonder these mooks went out of business....I'll also pass on the cocaine Doc."
"Can't a fella ever get lucky and find some good old bourbon? Oh well...say there was a low tunnel leading off but it was recently bricked up with this foul stuff sitting there...maybe the good stuff's still hidden and this was meant for the G-men, but the place is crawling with rats, we'd need a light, a sledgehammer, and some rat traps to find out."
"I can check the archive at the paper to see if this place was ever raided or whatnot" He says trailing off as if searching his memory for some perceived event.
"WHHHHEW!" Says Skip as he gets a heavy snort of chemical, with the next couple yielding equally unpleasant results. "No wonder these mooks went out of business....I'll also pass on the cocaine Doc."
"Can't a fella ever get lucky and find some good old bourbon? Oh well...say there was a low tunnel leading off but it was recently bricked up with this foul stuff sitting there...maybe the good stuff's still hidden and this was meant for the G-men, but the place is crawling with rats, we'd need a light, a sledgehammer, and some rat traps to find out."
"I can check the archive at the paper to see if this place was ever raided or whatnot" He says trailing off as if searching his memory for some perceived event.
"Ahh the good stuff" Zoltok takes a pinch of the white powder, he looks to skip, "Shallwe take a swig to celebrate our good fortunes" His hand goes unconciously to the book in his pocket, he rubs its cover gently after he is done his swig and the cocaine has settled, he will find a corner and start to read his new play.
Presumably the rest of the characters also take a swig of whiskey. Once Zoltok has had the cocaine he seems to go into his own little world and disappears to a corner of the room where he sits down and attempts to read one of the plays he found in the crate, despite the rather dim lighting. He quickly becomes quite absorbed with the book and you suspect he won't be much use for the rest of the evening.
"I'll check in at work in the morning, and see if I come across anything regarding this address, in the Tribune's archive" says Skip eyeing the 'shine balefully.
"Maybe the super at my apartment building has a sledge, but he certainly has no rat traps...unless he hording them up for himself!" he laughs softly to himself.
I know I have an electric torch somewhere, but I haven't really used it since I took the entertainment beat. The "took" coming out like a mouthful of kerosene. "So...we meet here tomorrow?"
"I have to leave, too. And I'll see ya guys tomorrow."
"Guido, let's go to cityhall."
Library use for Skip- 1d100=4
Spoiler for Skip
You spend a good chunk of the evening plowing through the Tribune's archives. You have to search back a few years, and you find a few mentions of a Theatre Company/Literary Society that was operating out of the building. They were called the "The Dreaming Gulf Society". They were known for some of the avante guard but rather convulted and esoteric dramatic productions they put on. Non of them received particularly favorable reviews, and most the references you find consist of short theatre reviews of a generally scathing nature.
"I'll check in at work in the morning, and see if I come across anything regarding this address, in the Tribune's archive" says Skip eyeing the 'shine balefully.
"Maybe the super at my apartment building has a sledge, but he certainly has no rat traps...unless he hording them up for himself!" he laughs softly to himself.
I know I have an electric torch somewhere, but I haven't really used it since I took the entertainment beat. The "took" coming out like a mouthful of kerosene. "So...we meet here tomorrow?"
Spoiler for Zoltok
High on Cocaine, you become totally absorbed in the play. In terms of plays, it probably isn't one of the best you have read. It's structure is convulted and meanders. The pacing is highly variable. It is filled with esoteric dream sequences that are both blasphemous and apocalyptic. One of the central characters is a enigmatic figure known as the King In Yellow. This being is cruel, sadistic and merciless, and many of the humans in the play worship this terrible entity as a god. Throughout the play he torments his followers with madness. There is mention of several strange and pseudo mythical locations. The most prominent are the city of Carcosa and the lake of Hali- both of which seem to rest in a dimension beyond our own.
Reading the play is a harrowing experience, but once you begin you find you can't put it down. It takes you through the entire night and into the next day. You don't eat, drink or sleep.
Sanity Check- 1d100=85
You loose 1d6=1 Sanity
and you gain +5% to your Cthulhu Mythos skill- though you will need to continue to study the play over the next week or two to fully understand it and maintain this bonus. However, you find that you have developed something of an obsession with it now.
"Ahh the good stuff" Zoltok takes a pinch of the white powder, he looks to skip, "Shallwe take a swig to celebrate our good fortunes" His hand goes unconciously to the book in his pocket, he rubs its cover gently after he is done his swig and the cocaine has settled, he will find a corner and start to read his new play.
Spoiler for Vincent
"I have to leave, too. And I'll see ya guys tomorrow."
"Guido, let's go to cityhall."
If no one has anything else they need to discuss I will fast forward to the next day. I'll give players until tomorrow to bring anything else up.
Ingo does nothing of any consequence. Dinner and a show. He is going to bring a tape measure, and some chalk tomorrow. He doesn't care about the tunnel, and is simply going to start drawing interiors, and planning the space. He is not going to have cocaine for a few days, because that is recreational, and he will be working.
The next afternoon, when you arrive back at the warehouse (Skip has acquired the necessary gear), you find that Zoltok is still in the corner with his book. He seems to be in a daze. It doesn't look like he's slept, eaten or even drank anything since you left him. In fact it doesn't even appear that he's moved from the spot he was in. He stinks of urine.
For the Keeper
Vincent also meets with his contacts with the Property Office to determine the various transfers of ownership regarding the subject building.
He also asks his friends in the NYPD if there has been records of crimes concerning that building.
Ingo arrives early, sees Zoltok, and immediately rushes to help him. He will ask Zoltok the classic questions to check for a stroke. "What day is it?" "How many fingers am I holding up?", "What is your name?".
He will also check Zoltok's pulse, pupils, and temperature.
He will take the book away from Zoltok, and put it in his own satchel, without really noticing it. Zoltok may wish to contest that...
He will give Zoltok some of the grape juice he has with him for the day's work.
"Zoltok! Talk to me. What is going on? I left you here, I find you here. I take it you didn't rest at all. You have soiled yourself. Can you walk? I will take you to the Carlton, to bathe yourself. You must get up now, and come with me. I will get you cleaned up. You don't want the others to see you like this!"
As the others arrive, a few minutes later, Ingo will step away from Zoltok, to avoid any of the others getting the wrong idea.
Before anyone notices, Zholtok dumps the remaining "shine" on the floor and himself, he acts more drunk than he is "I guess I cannot handle my shine" he claims, "I need to sleep this off" He slurrs. Using Ingo as a crutch he whispers "Thanks my old friend I would not want others to know I soiled myself" at this he picks Ingo"s pocket to reclaim the play that was taken from him, feeling a bit ashamed, but needing the play like an addict needs his fix he allows Ingo to lead him to the Carlton and he then excuses himself to take a Bath, he reads more of the play like an obsessed Madman.
Skip comes in carrying the sledge and electric torch, his limp being more pronounced from the encumberance.
"Wow...you guys really carried on here last night." With a sly wink "maybe I shoulda stayed. Oh well no matter, I found very little out about the place, but I'll tell ya later, when you get back...meanwhile I'll clean up a bit."
Skip noticed they were on the way out and assumed it was to get cleaned up or maybe a meal. Skip goes about slowly ordering the place from what appears to be a night of debauchery.
For the Keeper's eyes only
Spoiler for Vincent
Ingo leads Zoltok out of the warehouse just after Skip arrives, leaving Skip on his own to straighten up. Vincent arrives a little later...
Meanwhile Ingo and Zoltok have gone to the Carlton.
Anything you'd like to do while the party is separated?
Vincent arrives at Zoltok's place at the appointed time. Guido stays outside the building to warn of possible police raids.
Inside...
"Well, what have you guys' been doing?"
" I been straightening up...Zoltok put on a bender after we left-he looked like hell when I got here, the doc took `im for a meal an to get cleaned, presumably they'll return soon."
Skip stands with his jacket and tie off and sleeves rolled up, the torch and sledge lean up against some crates.
We get Zoltok cleaned up. Ingo will get him some eggs hollandaise and strong tea from room service, and will send his soiled clothes to be laundered. They will only be gone an hour. Ingo will ask some open questions, to give him the opportunity to talk, but he will not press the issue. He will, however, notice that the play is not in his satchel anymore. He will only go into the bathroom if Zoltok is taking an inordinate amount of time.
If nothing delays them, they will get a cab, and head back to the warehouse. Ingo is the soul of discretion and tact. If Zoltok wishes to talk, Ingo will listen, and ask open questions, viz: "how does that make you feel?" "What does this remind you of?" "Interesting. Tell me more."
He is a psychiatrist, and one of the best in the world.
We get Zoltok cleaned up. Ingo will get him some eggs hollandaise and strong tea from room service, and will send his soiled clothes to be laundered. They will only be gone an hour. Ingo will ask some open questions, to give him the opportunity to talk, but he will not press the issue. He will, however, notice that the play is not in his satchel anymore. He will only go into the bathroom if Zoltok is taking an inordinate amount of time.
If nothing delays them, they will get a cab, and head back to the warehouse. Ingo is the soul of discretion and tact. If Zoltok wishes to talk, Ingo will listen, and ask open questions, viz: "how does that make you feel?" "What does this remind you of?" "Interesting. Tell me more."
He is a psychiatrist, and one of the best in the world.
Is skip ready to get going then?
Spoiler for Ingo
Skip looks to Vince "They should be back soon, care to climb down and see what's behind that wall? The archive at the Tribune had no police activity attributed to this address, at least, none that made the paper....only a couple reviews of the apparently god-awful plays the 'dreaming gulf society' put on....I guess they were the 'artists' that had this place before."
The words dreaming gulf society and artists come out with more than a tinge of sarcasm, one of the characteristics of Skip's reviews when dealing with fringe elements.
"Just another group of crackpots if you ask me....like those ectoplasm phonies" he continues, more to himself then Vince.
With that he picks up the sledge and torch and stumps over to the trap door and after setting them back down and turning on the torch he gingerly pulls the door open.
* creeee-eeeeeeeeeek *
It is about that time that Zoltok and Ingo arrive back at the warehouse...
Zoltok seems a bit more subdued today, maybe from the hangover, maybe from something worse...He is eager to help with the exploration of the tunnel. He thanks everyone for being patient.
Who's going down. It would likely work best if one person used the hammer and the other person held the electric torch. There isn't really room down there for more than two people right now.
Ingo will certainly not go down the hole. He thinks it a waste of energy, and will simply start measuring and surveying the room, and calculating how much cheap plywood and faux velvet he will need. He is going to pay no attention to anything short of screaming from below, and is going to meticulously record every step he takes. He is keeping an eye on Zoltok, but will just give him space to talk if he wants to. I am assuming that Zoltok sees Ingo as his therapist, and that that overrides friendship. They have a client-doctor relationship at the moment. He will, however, recommend a safety line for the spelunkers, and ask that they get some mining braces to hold the roof, before knocking anything with a hammer, and will caution them to take food and water in case of a cave in.
"I personally think there are people outside who need work, who will get their hands dirty for a few dollars. I don't see why you all have to go and play Alan Quartermain! I do see the need to keep knowledge of this tunnel a secret. I think if we can't use it in the act, we should just fill it in. Oh, I will need some help up here, to hold the tape measure, and do some simple surveying, but I can wait a while before that need becomes imperative."
Vincent takes off his coat revealing the two shoulder-holstered automatics and starts rolling up his sleeves. "I'm ready for a little adventure. Who's with me?"
"It's recent brick work Doc, it's not holding anything up, just sealing off the GOOD stuff!" Skip makes his slow way down with the torch and calls up "Hand down the sledge or bring it down with ya"
Skip climbs down the hole, Vincent passes him the sledge and then comes down to hold the light for him. Skip gets to work hammering at the brick work. It is more challenging than it should be due to the confined space. You find it very difficult to get any leverage to take a solid swing. However, with some effort you eventually make progress. Finally, the wall gives way. You shine the light beyond and see that the wall was blocking off a "T" intersection to another tunnel. You peer down the into the tunnel and look both ways. The tunnel is quite narrow (only a few feet wide, but it has a ceiling that is nearly 6 feet high. It is obviously man made, and if you were to take a guess you would say that it's some kind of smugglers tunnel. In fact, you can see day light shining in through an exit in one direction. The other direction just vanishes into darkness. The entire tunnel has mild stink to it like rotting fish, but that's no real surprise given your proximity to the waterfront. The floor of the tunnel is earthen, and quite damp.
"whew" Skip exhales mopping his brow with a pocket hankerchief, "Haven't done anything that physical in a while.." the big man is heard to mutter.
"Well I can see daylight one way, so I doubt anybody would hide anything there, whatsay we head the other way?" he queries Vince, setting the hammer aside and stowing his hankercheif.
"Be my guest, Skip."
"As long as I don't use your name...as usual" says Skip as he takes out his pad and pencil.[i] "I just want to get this down for possible later story use"
[i]Taking the proferred torch Skip begins to make his slow way down the darkened tunnel.
You make your way up the tunnel with only your flashlight to guide you through the darkness. Rats scurry from the light as you go. The tunnel is damp and narrow. As you shine the light, you see that there are many foot prints on the muddy ground. It looks as though the tunnel still sees traffic, but the foot prints look odd, they resemble something that you imagine a giant frog would make. The tunnel doesn't go far before it turns a corner.
Skip stops before the corner aiming the beam of light at the prints.
"Those prints don't look quite right, I wonder if the these bootleggers have dogs or something"
Skip hadn't considered the idea the bootleggers might still be around and might be dangerous or have guard dogs before, and he ponders it for a moment, jotting down a couple notes on his pad
"Ever known any of these guys to use dogs?" He asks Vince cautiously, concious of the fact Vince may not want to reveal any knowledge of such activities to a reporter-even one he seems to trust.
"No. But I am not taking any chances." Vincent pulls both automatics. "Move away from the line of fire, Skip."
"Anything happens, my name stays out of the paper. Capische?"
Skip keeps the light level and ahead over Vince's shoulder as they move around the corner.
"Understood, as always sir" He replies, his momentary trepidation about the dogs relieved by the sight of the automatics and normally curious nature returning.
"Kinda reminds me of the trenches, over there..." Skip trails off, a shadow crossing his countenance.
The two of you look around the corner. The tunnel continues for about 80' and then comes to a dead end. There is a wooden ladder built into the wall at the end of the hall. You suspect there is probably a trap door in the ceiling where the hall ends.
"Hey guys what do you see, what is down the tunnel" Zoltok lovingly caresses the spine of his new play